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Bulgaria supports the creation of a European wall against drones, said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov

by AI | 02.Oct 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The provocations of Russia at the borders of the countries on the eastern flank of the EU require its protection, believes the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Rosen Zhelyazkov. Photo: Council of Ministers

COPENHAGEN – Bulgaria supports the creation of a European wall against drones, said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov in Copenhagen, where he participated in the informal meeting of the European Council, the government information service reported.

We need to build the necessary level of early warning, tracking, interception, and destruction of hostile aircraft in operational compatibility with the capabilities that NATO has in guarding and protecting the eastern flank, said the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

The eastern flank of the EU largely coincides with the eastern flank of NATO, and its protection is not an end in itself, but a proactive action related to the provocations of the Russian Federation at the borders of the member states of the flank, emphasized Rosen Zhelyazkov.

I support the view that we should look at the entire panorama of defense in 360 degrees, said Zhelyazkov, adding that it is important for the alliance not to be protected from only one side. When asked how Bulgaria will participate, the Prime Minister replied that this will be done through the declared projects via the opportunities provided by the European SAFE mechanism.

On September 26, Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov participated in the informal meeting convened by the Commissioner for Defense Industry and Space Andrius Kubilius, where the initiative to strengthen the eastern borders of the European Union (EU) and the creation of a wall against drones, launched by the President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen, was discussed. The meeting also included the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU Kaja Kallas, the defense ministers of the countries from the eastern flank of the Union and Ukraine, as well as a representative of NATO.

The ministers united around the position that the development of capabilities for defense against drones should be carried out in close coordination with NATO, based on a unified concept and through the search for modern technological solutions. Minister Zapryanov, along with his colleagues, emphasized the importance of securing grant funding from the EU budget for its implementation. In his statement, he also spoke about the need to build critical capabilities to ensure security in the Black Sea as part of the eastern borders of the EU. (01.10.2025)